In a heart-wrenching case of abandonment, a female elephant attempted to stamp her calf to death shortly after he was born. The alarmed zookeepers were forced to separate mother and child following which the baby elephant was inconsolable and cried for several hours.

A female elephant gave birth to Baby Zhuangzhuang on 30 August in Shendiaoshan Wild Animal Natural Reserve Area, in Rongcheng, Shandong province and almost immediately stepped on the newborn. The zoo’s veterinarians who initially assumed that it was an accident, took him away to treat his injuries and returned him to his mother two hours later. Much to everyone’s horror, the female elephant started trampling on the little elephant again in an effort to kill him.

Abusive Mother: The elephant that tried to kill her own baby

The flabbergasted zookeepers quickly leapt into action and chased the female elephant away from her baby. Baby Zhuangzhuang was taken to safety where his mother was not able to attack him anymore. The rejected calf then started to cry in sorrow for his mother and the maternal love he will never get.

A heart-breaking picture: The weeping baby elephant

The sad baby elephant was despondent and had tears streaming down his face for five hours as the zoo’s staff tried to comfort him but to no avail.

Blood-shot eyes and tear-streaked face

“The calf was very upset and he was crying for five hours before he could be consoled”, a spokesman said. “He couldn't bear to be parted from his mother and it was his mother who was trying to kill him.”

The reason why the mother elephant immediately turned on her calf is unknown.

Baby Zhuangzhuang has since then recovered from the trauma and has been adopted by one of the zookeepers who is seeing to it that he grows up big and strong.

We send tons and tons of love, huggies and kisses to little Zhuangzhuang! We so desperately want to cradle him in our arms and shower him with all the love in the world.